Poetic and Literary Devices

Epic

• Long narrative poem that traces the adventures of a great hero
• timeless values and universal themes

Hero

• legendary figure who performs deeds requiring strength and courage
• embodies traits that reflect high morals

Imagery

• language that appeals to the senses; often visual
• Ex. lines 1-2 in Beowulf describe Grendel living in darkness

Allusion

• brief and indirect reference to someone or something
• Ex. "Of Cain, murderous creatures banished/By God"

Alliteration

• repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, which helps organize the lines
• Ex. Savage assault--and my soldiers would be fewer/Still, death taking more and more
• "S" is repeated

Personification

• Giving human qualities to non-living thing
• "sorrow heaped at his door/By hell-forged hands"

Kenning

• compound word or phrase with a metaphor
• substituted for a noun or name, to enhance meaning
• Ex. "mankind's enemy" used in place of "Grendel"

Caesura

• a pause dividing each line, with each part having two accented syllables to help maintain the rhythm of the lines.
• Ex.He took what he wanted, //all the treasures

Tone

• author's attitude or feeling towards their subject
• Ex. Tone of Grendel fight scene is "suspenseful"

Onomatopoeia

• words that imitate sounds
• Ex. “Grendel will carry our bloody/Flesh to the moors, crunch on our bones…”

Symbolism

• using an object or action to mean something more than its literal meaning
• "Sword" to mean valor or bravery

Motifs

• Recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop the text’s major themes
• Ex. "Good vs. Evil"

Theme

• Message or moral that the author is sending
• Ex. Good always triumphs over evil